Home Office

Domestic Abuse: Finance

baroness uddin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) national, and (2) local, measures are in place to monitor the availability of funding for women’s organisation working with (a) victims, (b) survivors of, and (3) children affected by, domestic abuse.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government works inter-departmentally and with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and domestic abuse organisations to understand funding requirements for these organisations at the national level. Levels and types of funding provided from Government Departments to organisations is monitored by those respective Departments. Details of systems in place at local level, for example through local authorities, are not held centrally.The Designate Domestic Abuse Commissioner has agreed to undertake an in-depth exploration of the current community-based support landscape over 2020/21 which will inform our understanding of the availability of funding for domestic abuse organisations. The precise scope and timing of the review is a matter for the independent Commissioner. The review is expected to take some 12 monthsA ministerial-led National Steering Group will be established to monitor and evaluate delivery of the new duty on tier one local authorities in England to provide support to victims of domestic abuse, and their children, within safe accommodation (as provided for in Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Bill). Tier one local authorities will be required to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies for the provision of such support.The National Steering Group will include representatives from local government, Police and Crime Commissioners, health bodies, specialist domestic abuse service providers and housing associations. The Domestic Abuse Commissioner will also be a member.

Immigrants: Domestic Abuse

baroness uddin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans are in place to mitigate the impact of any increase in the incidence of domestic abuse on those women who have no recourse to public funds.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government is committed to supporting people, including those with no recourse to public funds, through this crisis. We are taking a compassionate and pragmatic approach and will continue to review the situation to consider if more can be done.Following increases in calls to domestic abuse helplines and online services, the Home Secretary announced an additional £2m to bolster organisations’ capacity on April 11. This is in addition to £28m of Government funding for domestic abuse charities to help survivors of domestic abuse and their children by providing more safe spaces, accommodation and access to support services during the coronavirus outbreak.We have also launched a campaign to raise awareness of domestic abuse and signpost victims to the support services available. The campaign, under the hashtag #YouAreNotAlone, aims to reassure those affected by domestic abuse that support services remain available during this difficult time. Details of these services can be found at www.gov.uk/domestic-abuseA £3.2 billion package of funding has been allocated to local authorities to help them respond to pressures across all the services they deliver and support any individual on the basis of any genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution. For example, where there are community care needs, migrants with serious health problems or family cases.People granted leave under the family and human rights routes can also apply to have a no recourse to public funds condition lifted or for access to benefits if their financial circumstances change.

Offences against Children

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their response to the petition Release the Home Office's Grooming Gang Review in full, published on 24 April, how many victims of grooming gangs they estimate there have been in the UK since 1998; how much financial support they are providing to each victim per annum; which Minister was responsible for clearing the wording of that response; what plans they have to hold a debate to consider that petition in Parliament; whether they intend to publish any research into such gangs; and if not, why not.

baroness williams of trafford: There is no official definition of ‘grooming gang’ offending and no means of delineating data on offending that might be described in this way from other forms of child sexual exploitation. The Government has estimated that there were approximately 6,850 victims of organised child sexual exploitation in the UK in 2015. This estimate includes all forms of child sexual exploitation and does not distinguish between rape and other sexual offences. It includes organised child sexual exploitation committed by groups and gangs within a range of contexts.We are determined that all victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, whether they are a child or an adult, can access the specialist support they need. In 2019/20 the government through a number of funding streams provided over £7m for non-statutory organisations providing support to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse across the country. Victims and survivors can access these services throughout their lifetime to help them cope with and, as far as possible, recover from the abuse they have suffered.We are increasing funding. For example, last month the Ministry of Justice and Home Office launched the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Fund, doubling the value of last year's fund and providing £2.4m over two years to voluntary sector organisations providing direct support to victims and survivors at a national level. Home Office will also shortly be launching a new £2.8m transformation fund to promote and embed best practice in child sexual abuse victim support.On 19 May, the Home Office announced its plans to publish a paper on group-based child sexual exploitation later this year. The paper, which will be published following engagement with subject matter experts, will bring together the insights gained from the Home Office’s work and set the direction for future policy and research. In announcing these plans the Home Secretary said ‘What happened to these children remains one of the biggest stains on our country’s conscience. It is shameful. I am determined to deliver justice for victims and ensure something like this can never happen again.’The Home Office’s response to the petition was cleared by the Home Secretary. It has now been revised and re-issued to reflect this decision.It is for the Petitions Committee to decide whether a petition should be put forward for debate

Windrush Generation: Compensation

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people who have made claims under the Windrush Compensation Scheme have so far received payment; and how much money they have allocated tobe used by that scheme.

baroness williams of trafford: Information on the total number of applications made to the Windrush Compensation Scheme that have so far received payment is available to view on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/windrush-compensation-scheme-data-february-2020. Updated data will be published shortly. Information relating to estimated costs including compensation payments are referred to in the Home Office’s Impact Assessment No: HO 0329 – dated 29/01/2020, available to view at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/864199/Windrush_compensation_policy_Impact_Assessment.pdf



Windrush Compensation Scheme - Feb 2020
(Excel SpreadSheet, 121.87 KB)




Windrush Compensation Policy Impact Assessment
(PDF Document, 484.07 KB)

Department for Education

Teachers: Coronavirus

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether disciplinary measures (1) can, and (2) will,be instigated against teachers who refuse to return to work on the grounds that they fear contracting COVID-19.

baroness berridge: The department’s guidance on implementing protective measures explains who should and should not attend nurseries and schools, and sets out the measures that should be followed for staff that are either clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable, or who live with someone in either of these groups. This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings.Whilst other staff should be able to come into school, it is natural that some staff will be worried about doing so even if the risks for them are very low. In agreeing the best approach for their schools, headteachers and school leaders should work closely with employees and unions, where appropriate. School leaders will be in the best position, knowing their staff and school circumstances, to decide how to proceed in individual cases.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burkina Faso: Terrorism

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Burkina Faso about protecting civilians displaced by terrorist activity, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness sugg: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 26 May 2020.The correct answer should have been:

The UK is deeply concerned by the ongoing reports of terrorist violence in Burkina Faso and the tragic consequences for the population. The number of displaced people due to instability continues to rise. As of March 2020, just under 800 000 people were recorded as displaced in Burkina Faso. The UK condemns the violence and is committed to working with all partners, including the G5 Sahel countries, to support those most in need and tackle the long-term drivers of instability in the region. In MarchFebruary, the Minister for Africa attended the first meeting of the Sahel Alliance General Assembly and G5 Leaders' Summit, where he reaffirmed the UK's commitment to improved security and increased development in the Sahel. We are also deeply concerned by reports of abuses and violations of human rights in Burkina Faso, including by armed groups and the Burkinabe security forces. We welcome the Government of Burkina Faso's commitment to investigate recent abuses and hold those responsible to account, including following the attack on Malian refugees on 2 May and the deaths of 12 detainees in mid-May.The UK is supporting Burkina Faso by providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to those affected by the crisis. Over £23 million of UK humanitarian aid will go to Burkina Faso between 2019 and 2021, including to help tackle food insecurity and treat acute malnutrition.We are also funding a number of programmes that help provide access to education in emergencies and support women's sexual and reproductive health. The UK is supporting the security response through non-combat assistance to the French-led counter-terrorism mission Operation BARKHANE, in the form of three CH47 chinook helicopters. The UK is also committed to helping the G5 Sahel Joint Force reach full operational capability - bilateral funding has gone towards the provision of non-lethal military equipment and support for the human rights compliance framework. In response to COVID-19, the UK has committed up to £744 million of UK aid to combat the virus and to reinforce the global effort to find a vaccine. In the Sahel, the UK is seeking to make sure existing programmes adapt to new needs and is working with partners like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank to ensure that countries in the region, including Burkina Faso, get the support they need to respond to COVID-19 and manage its impact.

baroness sugg: The UK is deeply concerned by the ongoing reports of terrorist violence in Burkina Faso and the tragic consequences for the population. The number of displaced people due to instability continues to rise. As of March 2020, just under 800 000 people were recorded as displaced in Burkina Faso. The UK condemns the violence and is committed to working with all partners, including the G5 Sahel countries, to support those most in need and tackle the long-term drivers of instability in the region. In MarchFebruary, the Minister for Africa attended the first meeting of the Sahel Alliance General Assembly and G5 Leaders' Summit, where he reaffirmed the UK's commitment to improved security and increased development in the Sahel. We are also deeply concerned by reports of abuses and violations of human rights in Burkina Faso, including by armed groups and the Burkinabe security forces. We welcome the Government of Burkina Faso's commitment to investigate recent abuses and hold those responsible to account, including following the attack on Malian refugees on 2 May and the deaths of 12 detainees in mid-May.The UK is supporting Burkina Faso by providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to those affected by the crisis. Over £23 million of UK humanitarian aid will go to Burkina Faso between 2019 and 2021, including to help tackle food insecurity and treat acute malnutrition.We are also funding a number of programmes that help provide access to education in emergencies and support women's sexual and reproductive health. The UK is supporting the security response through non-combat assistance to the French-led counter-terrorism mission Operation BARKHANE, in the form of three CH47 chinook helicopters. The UK is also committed to helping the G5 Sahel Joint Force reach full operational capability - bilateral funding has gone towards the provision of non-lethal military equipment and support for the human rights compliance framework. In response to COVID-19, the UK has committed up to £744 million of UK aid to combat the virus and to reinforce the global effort to find a vaccine. In the Sahel, the UK is seeking to make sure existing programmes adapt to new needs and is working with partners like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank to ensure that countries in the region, including Burkina Faso, get the support they need to respond to COVID-19 and manage its impact.

British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are giving to UK citizens who are being repatriated to the UK as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic who do not have access to accommodation where they can self-isolate if necessary.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Where a person is unable to self-isolate, the Government will assist them in finding a facility in which to do so. If you cannot safely self-isolate in your own accommodation, you should tell a border force official as you arrive at the UK border who can direct you to the booking system.The Government has made in excess of £3.2bn of funding available to local authorities in England to assist them in managing the pressures arising out of the pandemic.

Syria: Armed Conflict

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Amnesty International Syria: 'Nowhere Is Safe For Us’: Unlawful Attacks And Mass Displacement In North-West Syria, published on 11 May, which states that Russia and Syria have deliberately hit hospitals on the UN ‘do not target’ list and that there is “strong evidence of Russia’s direct involvement in unlawful air strike”.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We assess that Amnesty International's report provides useful further evidence of unlawful attacks by the Assad regime and Russia on civilian targets in Idlib. It therefore complements recent reports by the UN Commission of Inquiry and the UN Board of Inquiry. It is inexcusable that hospitals have been attacked despite their coordinates being provided to Russia and others by the UN deconfliction mechanism. The UK continues to call for accountability for these crimes and for all parties, including the Assad regime and Russia, to respect the ceasefire in Idlib and to abide by International Humanitarian Law. We also continue to support those displaced by the recent offensive, as documented in the Amnesty International report.

USA: START Treaty

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United States about the possible renewal of the New START Treaty next year.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We recognise the contribution the New START Treaty has made to international security by increasing transparency and mutual confidence amongst the two largest Nuclear Weapons States. The Treaty has delivered a reduction of strategic nuclear arsenals, enhanced notably by its robust verification mechanism. However, we are also clear that New START has limitations. It does not include new Russian systems. Nor does it place any limits on China's growing nuclear arsenal. We therefore support the US Government's trilateral strategic arms control initiative.We have regular discussions with the Government of the United States on these issues and have made clear that we support the continued implementation of New START. We have also encouraged the US to extend the Treaty while negotiating any successor agreement.

China: START Treaty

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to whether the government of China should be party to any future New START Treaty.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We recognise the contribution the New START Treaty has made to international security by increasing transparency and mutual confidence amongst the two largest Nuclear Weapons States. The Treaty has delivered a reduction of strategic nuclear arsenals, enhanced notably by its robust verification mechanism. We support its continued implementation and have encouraged the US to extend New START while negotiating any successor agreement. However, we are also clear that New START has limitations. It does not include new Russian systems. Nor does it place any limits on China's growing nuclear arsenal. We therefore support the US Government's trilateral strategic arms control initiative.

Confidence Building Measures

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to try and establish confidence building measures between nuclear powers since the termination of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: During our coordination of the P5 Process, the UK hosted a range of discussions between the five Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Nuclear Weapon States, including a dialogue aimed at increasing our mutual understanding of each other's nuclear doctrine, and hosting a conference of the five Nuclear Weapon States in London on 12-13 February 2020. At that meeting, all five states underlined the importance of reducing nuclear risk and promoting stability, and agreed that dialogue on strategic risk reduction should continue.

Department of Health and Social Care

North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust: Coronavirus

lord hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many ambulance drivers employed by the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust have (1) died, and (2) been placed in intensive care, due to COVID-19.

lord bethell: Data on the numbers of ambulance drivers who have died and been placed in intensive care due to COVID-19 is not held centrally.

Airports: Coronavirus

baroness mcgregor-smith: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish a summary of the advice and scientific evidence from Public Health England on the utility of health screening at airports during the current phase of the COVID-19 outbreak.

lord bethell: Transparency, including on the evidence informing the views of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), is vital in helping to maintain the public’s trust and grow our collective understanding of the disease, while also helping to explain how scientific advice to the Government is being formed. The Government is working to publish evidence documents and studies, including from Public Health England, which have formed the basis of SAGE’s discussions and advice to Ministers, regularly, and will publish more evidence in the coming weeks.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of whether wearing (1) non-surgical facemasks, and (2) glasses, alongside social distancing measures in closed public places, reduces the respiratory spread of COVID-19.

lord bethell: After careful consideration of the latest scientific evidence from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, the Government confirmed face coverings can help to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, in some circumstances. Evidence shows a face covering can help to reduce the spread of droplets and therefore the potential infection of others. From 11 May 2020, the public were advised to consider covering their mouth and nose when in enclosed spaces, such as public transport or shops.

Social Services: Learning Disability

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) adults with a learning disability living in a care setting, (2) people over the age of 70 living in a care setting, and (3) people over the age of 70 not in a care setting, were issued a shielding letterin relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord bethell: Those identified as extremely clinically vulnerable are put on the Shielded Patient List (SPL), based on a set of specific conditions set out by the Chief Medical Officer. The SPL has been developed based on national data and local clinical judgement.We only hold sufficient information on the SPL to allow us to identify those people who are clinically extremely vulnerable, to ensure that they have the right guidance and support to help them shield. We do not have additional data on whether that are currently in care settings or not. This means we are unable to identify adults with a learning disability in a care setting from the SPL, nor split the over 70s on the SPL between those in care settings and those not.The SPL does include date of birth, so as of 7 May we know that 944,134 people aged 70 and over were on the SPL, and therefore should have received a shielding letter.

Dental Services: Coronavirus

baroness crawley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial sustainability of NHS dental services.

lord bethell: NHS England is continuing to fund dentists for their National Health Service contracts while the requirement to deliver a given amount of treatment is suspended. As part of the agreement dental practices will provide remote urgent advice, redeploy staff to provide urgent face to face care in one of the 550 urgent dental centres and redeploy other staff to support the wider NHS on COVID-19. NHS England and NHS Improvement announced on 28 May that NHS dentistry outside urgent care centres will begin to restart from 8 June with the aim of increasing levels of service as fast as is compatible with maximising safety.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government which agency has the lead responsibility for supplying COVID-19 testing kits to care homes.

lord bethell: Public Health England (PHE) and the Department are working closely together to respond to outbreaks of COVID-19 in care homes.PHE's health protection teams (HPTs) play a vital role locally in responding to any outbreak in care homes, providing tailored infection control advice to allow staff to protect themselves and their residents. From the outset, HPTs have been arranging testing for residents when an outbreak is reported at a particular care home.The Department is offering a test to every staff member and resident in every care home in England, whether symptomatic or not. By 6 June, every care home for the over 65s will have been offered testing for residents and staff.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest estimate of the positive effect of social distancing on decreasing the spread of COVID-19; and what estimate they have made of the possible negative effects as restrictions are gradually lifted.

lord bethell: On 26 March 2020 the Government introduced a series of social distancing measures based on scientific advice. These are strict measures, but they are measures that we must take in order to protect the National Health Service, slow the spread of the virus so the NHS would not be overwhelmed, and save lives. Helped by these measures, we have started to reduce the spread of the disease and ensured that the NHS was not overwhelmed.On 16 April, the First Secretary of State (Rt. Hon. Dominic Raab MP) outlined, in line with scientific advice, five criteria that would be considered as part of assessing the necessity of the measures and whether they could be eased. These consider NHS capacity, death rates, transmission rates, availability of personal protective equipment, and avoidance of a second peak of the virus that overwhelms the NHS.The Government will continue to review the measures, assessing them to ensure that they continue to be necessary and proportionate based on available scientific evidence.

Dental Services: Coronavirus

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capability of dental practices to continue to operate after the COVID-19 pandemic; and what steps they intend to take to ensure that the public have access to full dental services when COVID-19 restrictive measures are relaxed to allow routine dental treatment to resume.

lord bethell: National Health Service dentistry was reorganised in late March along with other NHS primary care services to minimise face to face care to contain the spread of COVID-19 during the peak of the pandemic. Dentists were asked to suspend all routine treatment and instead to offer urgent advice and, where required, prescriptions for antibiotics by telephone. Urgent treatment was made available through urgent dental centres (UDCs) set up in each NHS region.As of 25 May, there are currently over 550 UDCs open. Patients are triaged into UDCs by their own dentistry or through NHS 111. The UDCs are expected to provide, where urgently needed, the full range of dental treatment normally available on the NHS.NHS England and NHS Improvement announced on 28 May that NHS dentistry outside UDCs will begin to restart from 8 June with the aim of increasing levels of service as fast as is compatible with maximising safety.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they haveof the number of people discharged from NHS hospitals into care homes who had(1) not been tested, or (2) tested positive, forCOVID-19. [T]

lord bethell: Information is not available in the format requested.The attached table shows a count of the finished discharge episodes, with the number of diagnosis confirmed by test and diagnosis not confirmed by test for all discharges listed by destination for each month in 2020.The data shows the number of completed episodes and not the number of people as some individuals may have been admitted and discharged on more than one occasion during the period.The data is provisional and is subject to review.



HL4545-Baroness Altmann-Supporting data.xlsx
(Excel SpreadSheet, 18.86 KB)

Exercise Cygnus

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they took, following the conclusion of Exercise Cygnus, to review the level of additional pressure the voluntary sector could absorb from the social care sector during a pandemic.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they took, following the conclusion of Exercise Cygnus, to review the work needed to develop a method for (1) mapping capacity of, and (2) providing strategic national direction to, voluntary resources during a pandemic.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they took, following the conclusion of Exercise Cygnus, to review the level of engagement in the voluntary sector in advance as well as the capacity of that sector to assist in the event of a pandemic.

lord bethell: Working across Government and with stakeholders, the lessons from Exercise Cygnus have informed our preparedness, such as development of draft legislation support to the response to a future influenza pandemic, and strengthening health, care and voluntary sector plans to surge and flex beyond normal operations. Learning the lessons from preparedness exercises, as well as other sources of expertise has ensured that the United Kingdom remains well prepared for infectious disease outbreaks.

Dental Services: Coronavirus

lord lee of trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to discuss with the Care Quality Commission the steps that need to be taken for dental surgeries to safely reopen for emergency dental care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord bethell: National Health Service dentistry was reorganised in late March along with other NHS primary care services to minimise face to face care to contain the spread of COVID-19 during the peak of the pandemic. Dentists were asked to suspend all routine treatment and instead to offer urgent advice and, where required, prescriptions for antibiotics by telephone. Urgent treatment was made available through urgent dental centres (UDCs) set up in each NHS region.As of 25 May there are currently over 550 UDCs open. Patients are triaged into UDCs by their own dentistry or through NHS 111. The UDCs are expected to provide, where urgently needed, the full range of dental treatment normally available on the NHS.NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Chief Dental Officer held two workshops in collaboration with the Care Quality Commission and dental sector, at how soon wider NHS dental services can safely reopen.NHS England and NHS Improvement announced on 28 May that NHS dentistry outside urgent care centres will begin to restart from 8 June with the aim of increasing levels of service as fast as is compatible with maximising safety. A copy of the letter is attached. 



Letter on resumption of dental services
(PDF Document, 136.22 KB)

Coronavirus: Hydroxychloroquine

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of taking hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19; and what plans they have to supplyhydroxychloroquine to members of the Cabinet.

lord bethell: Clinical trials are currently under way in the United Kingdom and internationally to test whether existing medicines, including hydroxychloroquine, are safe and effective for treating COVID-19. An assessment of the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine will be made following the conclusion of the trials.There are no plans to supply hydroxychloroquine to members of the Cabinet.

Coronavirus: Children

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks posed by any emergence of a Kawasaki-like disease in children who may have been exposed to COVID-19.

lord bethell: Since March 2020 surveillance of multisystem inflammatory syndrome, Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome has been underway in the United Kingdom. The British Paediatric Surveillance Unit and Public Health England have commenced a study which aims to understand the incidence, presenting features, laboratory features, management, clinical course and the outcome of this potentially new syndrome characterised by hyperinflammation which is temporally associated with COVID-19.The study is scheduled to run until March 2021, or until sufficient case reports have been notified to allow data analysis.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance about COVID-19 has been given to supported living facilities since 15 March to enable residents and staff of such facilities to be protected; and how many residents of such facilities have died or are suspected to have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

lord bethell: Previously, Public Health England published guidance for supported living providers. This was withdrawn on 13 May and updated guidance for the sector is being developed.Guidance on the provision of home care was published on 22 May and is available in an online only format at GOV.UK. This may also be relevant to supported living settings where domiciliary care is provided.The Care Quality Commission advised that it is not possible to isolate death notifications where providers register for multiple service types. Therefore, they have analysed deaths reported by providers who are registered to provide supported living services only.Between 10 April and 15 May 2020, there were 39 deaths notified - 18 of which have been COVID-19 related, whether suspected or confirmed. It is important to note that this may not offer a complete picture of all deaths in supported living settings.

Exercise Cygnus: Voluntary Work

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they took following the conclusion of Exercise Cygnus to ensure that the contribution of the voluntary sector was more apparent in pandemic plans and communications activities.

lord bethell: The lessons from Exercise Cygnus continue to inform our preparedness, including strengthening health, care and voluntary sector plans to surge and flex beyond normal capacity.Government departments and agencies are working with organisations across the voluntary and charity sector to ensure the sector’s valuable expertise contributes to better outcomes for people affected by the crisis.

Social Distancing

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to modify social distancing measures.

lord bethell: The Government published its roadmap which set out its plan to return life to as near normal, and as quickly and fairly as possible in order to safeguard livelihoods and protect the National Health Service. To do that it has set out a plan for recovery and a timetable for lifting restrictions. A copy of Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy is attached.The Government amended the social distancing regulation on 1 June. The amendments include spending time outdoors, including private gardens in groups of up to six people from different households, following social distance guidelines and visiting and car showrooms and outdoor markets.The Government will continue to review the measures and will make amendments to ensure that they continue to be necessary and proportionate. At all times, we have been consistently guided by scientific and medical advice to ensure that we do the right thing at the right time.



Our Plan to Rebuild
(PDF Document, 1.72 MB)

Coronavirus: Death

baroness thornton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that COVID-19 related fatalities of (1) NHS staff, (2) social workers, and (3) care workers, are accurately reported.

lord bethell: On 29 April 2020 the Government introduced a new daily death reporting protocol which includes deaths that have occurred in all settings where there has been a positive COVID-19 test such as hospitals, care homes and the wider community.The number of deaths of National Health Service healthcare workers is verified from direct reports from NHS employing and non-NHS organisations. This information is investigated and triangulated by NHS England to give a high level of confidence of validity.The Office for National Statistics also publishes statistics on deaths involving COVID-19 by occupation, including rates and counts of deaths of social workers and care workers.

Hospitals: Admissions

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide finer resolution data on hospital admission statistics in England to aid understanding of optimal (1) admission, (2) treatment, and (3) resource allocation, strategies.

lord bethell: Data on Hospital Episodes Statistics is published online by NHS Digital and the latest available data is for 2018/19. Annual data for 2019/20 is due to be published in October 2020.